Why Incorporate Local Components Into Retail Projects?

COLUMBUS, OH—There are several trends in the retail market today that are mostly based on the desire to create experiences for customers within a store, mall or mixed use development, which is in response to Millennials' desires and habits. Those thoughts are according to Lori Bongiorno, principal and commercial studio director at M+A Architects, a Columbus, OH-based architecture firm.

“One trend is incorporating a local component into the project—a farmer's market, local craftsmen showcase, local restaurants, gallery space showcasing local artists, etc. Another trend is including more fitness uses within the project, which act as anchors bringing people to a development, or serving the people who live, work and play at the development—all of which creates a true walkable community,” she says.

Technology is playing a huge role in retail, as well, by making shopping as easy and seamless as possible for consumers, she tells GlobeSt.com. For example, she says that consumers are now able to order goods with their mobile device to be picked up at a concierge service.  Technology also allows for tracking their habits, which allows retailers to send them notifications of sales or products they might be interested in.

“While retail centers and malls will not disappear in the age of online shopping, they will continue to evolve to provide unique experiences and keep up with consumer demands and desires. A mix of uses is key to the success of a development and new uses will provide a compelling reason to visit other than shopping,” she says.

We also recently chatted with Robert Cohen, Vice Chairman, RKF, on the subject. He says that “E-commerce will continue to grow, but we're still in the early stages of internet maturation. As technology evolves, we may see some contraction in brick and mortar retail, but we'll also see new success stories.”

He explains that those will be the brands that have learned to effectively leverage e-commerce and social media into their sales strategies, along with experiential offerings that both entertain and drive sales. “We should also acknowledge that there are external factors working against the retail industry right now. We have a strong dollar, so international tourism, especially from China, Europe and the Middle East, has declined.”

He adds that “We saw a record number of visitors to New York City in 2016, but it may be that we've peaked—it's too early in 2017 to tell. The key will be boosting domestic tourism. We need to appeal to people by reminding them that it's affordable for them to travel domestically—so they can spend on entertainment, food, and experiences.”

COLUMBUS, OH—There are several trends in the retail market today that are mostly based on the desire to create experiences for customers within a store, mall or mixed use development, which is in response to Millennials' desires and habits. Those thoughts are according to Lori Bongiorno, principal and commercial studio director at M+A Architects, a Columbus, OH-based architecture firm.

“One trend is incorporating a local component into the project—a farmer's market, local craftsmen showcase, local restaurants, gallery space showcasing local artists, etc. Another trend is including more fitness uses within the project, which act as anchors bringing people to a development, or serving the people who live, work and play at the development—all of which creates a true walkable community,” she says.

Technology is playing a huge role in retail, as well, by making shopping as easy and seamless as possible for consumers, she tells GlobeSt.com. For example, she says that consumers are now able to order goods with their mobile device to be picked up at a concierge service.  Technology also allows for tracking their habits, which allows retailers to send them notifications of sales or products they might be interested in.

“While retail centers and malls will not disappear in the age of online shopping, they will continue to evolve to provide unique experiences and keep up with consumer demands and desires. A mix of uses is key to the success of a development and new uses will provide a compelling reason to visit other than shopping,” she says.

We also recently chatted with Robert Cohen, Vice Chairman, RKF, on the subject. He says that “E-commerce will continue to grow, but we're still in the early stages of internet maturation. As technology evolves, we may see some contraction in brick and mortar retail, but we'll also see new success stories.”

He explains that those will be the brands that have learned to effectively leverage e-commerce and social media into their sales strategies, along with experiential offerings that both entertain and drive sales. “We should also acknowledge that there are external factors working against the retail industry right now. We have a strong dollar, so international tourism, especially from China, Europe and the Middle East, has declined.”

He adds that “We saw a record number of visitors to New York City in 2016, but it may be that we've peaked—it's too early in 2017 to tell. The key will be boosting domestic tourism. We need to appeal to people by reminding them that it's affordable for them to travel domestically—so they can spend on entertainment, food, and experiences.”